Of Demons and Butlers
by Greentonic
Summary: Forget fairies. When Artemis sets his sights on something more...godly, he and Butler intrude on Phantomhive territory. What will happen when these two young masters meet...with butlers who are anything but ordinary?
1. Prologue

_**Well, here goes**_

_***characters the properties of Eoin Colfer and Yana Toboso! yatta yatta yatta...  
**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

"This is the place, Butler"

The sleek, German sedan that Artemis preferred to use on especially sensitive business slid to a stop, just beyond the yellow glow cast by two flickering street lamps. Butler peered into the dark street where three-story townhouses rose on one side of the paved driveway, disappearing into the night. No lights were on, not at this hour. Artemis had explicitly stated that they were not to be seen, and the neighborhood seemed safe enough in daylight, but now…

"Artemis-"

"I know, Butler. I can assure you, it is quite safe. The only crime we need to worry about occurred over 200 years ago."

Butler absently fingered the trigger of his favorite Sig Sauer, unconvinced. A year ago, he would've followed without question. That was before the Spiro-restaurant incident. And now this, another case of a sloppy stake-out. He must be getting old. Butler sighed, and popped open the door.

******

The thick London fog did not agree with Artemis- the young genius felt it as soon as his leather loafers hit the cobbled street. The cold seeped into his crisp Fioravanti suit, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on ends. Beside him, Butler frowned, checking the dark spots behind infrared glasses. Artemis felt an uncharacteristic rush of excitement. _They were here. Everything was in place_.

"Well I won't leave you in suspense much longer old friend," Artemis said, reaching into his coat to pull out the strange gold ring Butler had seen him slip on before leaving Fowl manor. It reeked of fairly technology.

"I managed to produce this contraption here with a little help from Foaly, and with a little portion of our fairy prize."

He held it up so Butler could see. "Tell me Butler, what do you think about time travel?"

Butler cleared his throat, removing the glasses and putting them back into his jacket pocket. He knew it was not his place to question the young master, but regardless of all the dangerous exploits Artemis had found fit to become involved it, this trip had been by far the most mysterious. They had driven from the hotel to their present location in silence, briefing only on the time and location. On the way Butler remembered Artemis wording it as being 'only a simple excursion to Whitechaple London, to pass the time'. The thought of Artemis as a casual tourist had almost made him loose his composure.

His employer waited patiently. It was too dark to read his expression but Butler was sure Artemis had not traveled so far just to deliver a scientific lecture on some dimly lit street. Butler took a deep breath.

"No stranger than elves and fairies," fibbed the big man. He blinked and realized he meant it.

"Precisely."

Butler was a man of few words and Artemis appreciated that. It was time to return the favor, and to fill the loyal manservant in.

"You see, my dear friend, this ring is designed to open a one-use portal to a specific date in the past. A disposable time machine, if you will. And no, Butler, this has nothing to do with the LEP."

Butler suddenly had a very bad feeling, like someone was about to tell him he had left the oven on back at the manor.

"I'll spare you the theatrics. The year is 1888. The place, Dorset Street, London, England. And _we,_"Artemis continued, " have a date with Jack the Ripper."

When he turned, and Butler could see his perfectly serious expression- albeit with the characteristic shadow of a smirk.

Artemis held up his hand with the ring. "History is not all what it seems, and neither is Mr. Ripper. We are going back to Victorian England. We shall meet the Ripper at the site of his last crime, and-

_I will catch myself a death god_."

* * *

_**This is my first time! (Fanfic writing- sheesh wha'd ya think I meant?!? :P) **_

_**So? Should I continue?  
**_

_**Please comment/review!**_


	2. That Butler, Always Prepared

**My first reviews! I feel so honored! *teary eyes***

**Please continue to read and enjoy.**

**

* * *

  
**

"Young master, we are here."

Ciel Phantomhive, heir to the Phantomhive legacy, Earl and trusted servant to the Queen of England sleepily opened his eyes. For a moment, he had a vision that they were sailing over the rooftops of London on black feathered wings. The dark feathers swirled around them, and he felt warm, nestled there in Sebastian's arms…feathers soft against his cheeks…

He blinked and the image was gone.

Sebastian looked down at the young lord in his arms and smiled. In his sleep, the eye patch had slid sideways off Ciel's face to dangle by his ear, fully revealing the mark which sealed their bond, now that the young master was awake…the mark which made Sebastian's hand itch so _ravenously_ every night…

Sebastian's coat fluttered quietly as his feet brushed the ground. Ciel struggled to get down.

"Young master, your eye patch…"

"I know!" Ciel growled, angrily pushing Sebastian's arms away. The demon's true identity was not lost on him, would never be lost on him. It would be foolish to forget the _real_ reason why Sebastian had sworn to stay by his side till the very end…indeed, very foolish. No matter how safe the butler's presence made him feel…no matter how much he wanted to be-

It was a cold night, and Ciel fumbled with tying the knot on the only article of dress he was used to putting on himself. Sebastian simply beamed at him and handed him his common-boy's-cap from somewhere inside his black waistcoat. Ciel grabbed it, surveying their present location. A series of shady doorways not uncommon to the poorer London neighborhoods lined the cobbled street.

"So this is Dorset Street?"

"Yes, my lord."

Ciel set his mouth in a grim line. The concealed pistol pressed coldly against the small of his back.

There would be no bedtime dessert-and-tea tonight.

******

Butler felt…fuzzy. It reminded him of the time when he'd first joined Madam Ko's Academy and accidentally shot himself with a tranquilizer gun. It was as if he was being dissimulated atom by atom, stretched, then suspended in emptiness, yet somehow still together and barely conscious. He wondered if they looked like the teleporting characters from those Star Trek shows that Juliet liked to watch when wrestling wasn't on, to some casual insomniac resident peering out the window. It was no use fighting against the pull of the fairy technology. Butler relaxed.

As they drifted in and out of the time-stream, some of their earlier conversation floated back to him.

"_So they intend to use us as-"_

"_That's right. Better to send Mud Men test subjects to a Mud Men occupied past, than risk one of their own. It was the only way I obtain one of these first-generation Faerie Rings, and a trial product at that."_

_We're volunteered Guinea pigs. That's reassuring,_ Butler thought. Beside him he sensed Artemis's being pulse rather vigorously. His own body gave a violent shake but otherwise nothing seemed to happen.

"_I've described our destination already to our little friends below. Naturally, they don't know the true point of this expedition but they are monitoring the trip and will make, uh, __**corrections**__ if we offshoot by a single minute."_

Butler did not want to know what those corrections were.

"_Artemis, how can you be sure that the Ring…"_

"…_Will get us to the right place? It was quite simple- I did a full check-up of all its functions the minute we returned to the manor. It is my design after all, so I can assure you it hasn't been tampered with. Ah, I see you're still not convinced. Perhaps if I explained it with this example you will find our mission actually quite possible."_

"_Imagine that time," _Artemis explained,_ "is running stream, and you and I are only two leaves floating along it. Leaves are stuck to the surface of the stream and can only be carried forward by the rushing water, as are we, living only in the present but always moving towards our so-called fates. But if a leaf suddenly _leaves _the surface of the stream, is suspended over it and then dropped, it would be at a different place, a different "present". The water has moved on and the leaf is now located in a section of the stream behind where it used to be._

_That, my friend, is time travel. As well as the function of the Rings."_

Butler had nodded, although he was sure more went into it than what Artemis was letting on. He decided not to press his employer. They had to get moving, if they were to avoid the nightly rounds made by the NSY.

"_One last thing: The reason I am telling you this Butler, is because inserting two objects back into the time-stream takes quite an amount of energy, so please do not be alarmed if our arrival is rather_ _**flashy**__."_

"_Understood."_

Artemis had hardly spoken this last comment for Butler's own sake. The unstated message rang loud and clear: 'Be Prepared-our entrance will be noticed.'

******

On November 9th, 1888- in the midst of the Jack-the-Ripper case- two mysterious figures stepped out of the night... and appeared on Dorset Street.

* * *

**Well, I think I'll never be tired of getting a new review! (newbie's enthusiasm or something, right? :P)**

**Seriously. Comment. Favorite. Subscribe. **

**Don't make me get Sebastian.**


	3. That Butler, So Quick

**No more boring time-travel explanations from now on (I promise!) Just read and enjoy!**

**

* * *

  
**

**III. That Butler, So Quick**

"And then, Sebastian, when the Ripper appears you will- "

"Oh yes…yes…What an alluring voice…"

Ciel almost popped a nerve. "Sebastian! Were you even listening?!"

The stray tabby, who was only a moment ago purring loudly and shamelessly into the crook the butler's neck, stopped to glare at the young earl. It shook its tail and hopped out of the demons arms. Ciel was rewarded with rare glimpse of Sebastian looking rather …rejected? If he didn't know better, he'd say that the demon-butler was practically pouting. But that was impossible. Demons don't pout.

The tall manservant noticed Ciel starring at him and curled his lips into a small smile. He stood and brushed off his waist coat.

"Ah… I apologize, my lord. You don't find such rare beauties-"

Ciel grimaced and massaged his temples. The thought that the demon had a feline fetish disturbed him more than seeing Elizabeth running at him with a Ciel-sized corset and a maid's costume.

"Sebastian, I order you to capture the culprit alive. In all other respects- you will engage on sight!" the young earl commanded coldly.

Sebastian knelt. "Yes, my lord."

Somewhere nearby the tabby gave a warning yowl. The consistency of the air changed.

Sebastian felt it before his young master did. In one swift motion the demon butler grabbed Ciel by his collar and tossed him out of harm's way. The earl of Phantomhive had one glimpse of a weird, pulsing light as he sailed through the air before part of the building above where he just was exploded into dust. Sebastian was instantaneously by his side, shielding him from debris with his body.

Almost simultaneously, a gut-wrenching scream erupted from inside Mary Shelly's room.

A large figure appeared out of the settling dust.

*****

Something was _very very_ **wrong**.

It was something that did not happen very often to Artemis, so of course he recognized it right away.

During the trip, Artemis' own molecules had pulsated rather vigorously compared to his large companion's.…and the effects were just now becoming clear.

Artemis could barely breathe. There was something-no! _Somethings_ new

… and something _lost_.

Butler was too concentrated on the figures of a child standing next to a dark haired man, the only people on the deserted street, to notice his employer's uncharacteristic silence. He was already getting some feeling back in his arms, although the nerves were still tingling. Butler knew they only had a few seconds before the dust cleared and he and Artemis were out for the world to see.

He couldn't make out the pair very well, but something, maybe their quiet reactions and lack of screaming after witnessing two people appearing out of nowhere, warned him these were not normal civilians.

"B-Butler-"

"Quiet, Artemis."

"Butler!"

He had never heard his employer sound so desperate or… so high pitched? Butler looked to see what the matter was. Artemis was nowhere in sight. Instead, a long, raven-haired girl stood where Artemis should have been standing…wearing Artemis' clothes…about Artemis' height…

The girl was trembling furiously and tears leaked out of her eyes.

"I'm. Going. To kill. Foaly."

*****

Ciel gritted his teeth. Sebastian's protective arms prevented him from rushing headlong into Mary Shelly's residence. He decided to ignore the scream-It was too late anyways. The culprit had obviously finished his work and was trying to make his escape.

"So. You finally showed yourself, RIPPER," Ciel announced with a dangerous smile. "Sebastian, go!"

"Yes!"

The Phantomhive demon was already drawing his silverware. Butler barely had time to draw his own weapon before he was assaulted with a lethal variety of dessert forks all projected at his vital organs.

A seemingly unassuming English man was launching himself at him at an impossible speed.

Butler knocked one aside and dodged the rest. He pushed Artemis far behind him.

"Too slow!"

The Phantomhive butler's empty-handed blow connected solidly with Butler's left shoulder. Butler heard bone snap. If that hand had been carrying anymore silverware, Butler knew full well he would've lost that arm.

He had no more illusions about the force behind the lean man's attacks. This was no mere human.

A well-polished steak knife thudded into the wall inches from Artemis' elbow. He found himself being shoved back even further by Butler's protective bulk. He opened his mouth to protest.

The suited man was suddenly right next to him. A pair of unnatural, amber eyes burned into youth's pale face. Artemis' brain shut down. He couldn't look away. Far away Butler was shouting something.

The eyes darted to the side and broke their gaze. Artemis stumbled back.

"Wait! I have a proposition for you!"

Butler was emptying his own supply of throwing knives at the target, forcing Sebastian to retreat with several Olympian-worthy back flips. The demon butler responded by unfurling one of his signature side kicks. Butler deftly blocked it and put himself between the two again. Painfully, with his left hand, Butler drew a second pistol and cocked it threateningly.

One pistol was locked on the other butler. The other was aimed straight at Ciel. This made Sebastian pause.

"Hmph." Sebastian landed back at Ciel's side. He continued to regard Artemis' condition with an amused smile.

Artemis breathed harshly. The two youths eyed death-glares at each other and Ciel wondered briefly why a girl was dressed in trousers. For some reason the way Sebastian was starring at the young girl bothered him.

"Who are you!?" Ciel demanded.

Artemis' mind was racing. Things were not going as planned. First, he had this, this _humiliating _physical appearance to deal with. And then there was the boy who was addressing them with an air of authority that annoyingly reminded Artemis of himself.

The costume itself was pathetic. One look at the boy's well-groomed appearance and crisp accent told him that this was hardly a real-life Oliver Twist. But the companion, a butler for certain, was a mystery. If it wasn't for those eyes, Artemis would've suspected that the man was one of Butler's own ancestors.

"You're… not death reapers?" Artemis said at last, slowly.

Ciel never had a chance to reply. The door to Mary Shelly's suite swung open. Inside, the shadows were dyed with red and tainted by a glimpse of a very familiar crimson dress. Ciel's voice died in his throat as a very amused Grelle Sutcliffe sauntered out.

"Well isn't this cozy? Tehe! "

* * *

**Ahhh...So fanfic won't let me insert any heart symbols for Grelle...  
**

_**Venusgal100: Thank you for making my story an "exception." I hope you will review again! :)**_

_**Anon: "Keep it coming" right? Thanks for your support! I'll try to update every week or so…**_


	4. That Butler, Assertive

**Hello everyone! I'm back :)**

**I decided to start this chapter differently, a little summary since the long update break. Enjoy!**

**

* * *

  
**

**IV. That Butler, Assertive**

The following contains an account of the events that occurred on the night of the 9th of November, 1888 as recorded by Detective Frederick Abberline, from the witness Martha Agnes Peabody.

_At approximately a quarter past midnight, Ms. Peabody (age 57, widow), a resident of Dorsett Street , was awoken by what she describes to be a 'very loud noise.' _

_[quote] "I had thought for sure all of hell was flying loose…That or Parcy next door was trying one of his experiments again… The walls were shake in'! I was chattering in me teeth I was! It nearly knocked that portrait of dear old down…" _

_With large eyes, empathic hand gestures and a disheveled appearance made for a very impressive case. _

_Ms. Peabody then commented on how she discovered her cat (Toodles, a.k.a Tod) to be missing. When she looked out her window, Toodles was observed to be running down the street. Thinking that there might have been a horrific carriage accident, Ms. Peabody went downstairs and out into the street to collect her cat. As she rounded the corner of Arling's Bakery, she witnessed the scene of an apparent duel. Three gentlemen are currently implicated._

_[quote] "I could barely keep my eyes on em'! There was a tall bloke swinging knives and such…and another man- a big, bald one using some newfangled pistols, I couldn't say for sure- they seemed to be both fighting this red-headed fellow. It was quite terrifying! The fellow with the long red hair seemed to be having such a good time too swinging that odd saw of his! I could've sworn he injured that tall, fine looking man with the suite…he was the one I was really cheering for you know… Well, ahem, like I was saying earlier, what really caught my eye was that there were children there! A boy and a girl, dressed oddly mind you, about my niece's age! And all this was in front of Mary Shelly's place too…between you and me detective, that woman had a _nasty_ reputation…"_

"…_Dueling's against the law, so I didn't watch… well, for long anyways…And as soon as I saw that body of that poor woman with the red dress lying dead as a doornail in the street, well I turned and ran for an officer as fast as I could…"_

_The body of the female in the street was later identified as Angelina Durless, aka Madam Red, and the widow of Baron Barnett. The young male was identified to be her nephew the young Earl Ciel Phantomhive, along with his personal butler, the tall suited man mentioned by Ms. Peabody. After questioning, the young lady and the other bald gentlemen (identifying themselves as a Miss. Rory Schlippe and Butler) were taken into custody. The mutilated body of Mary Shelly was also discovered inside the residence._

"_They aren't natural, I tell ya!" Ms. Peabody was heard declaring loudly to other curious observers as more officers arrived on the scene._

_No trace of the red haired man was found at the scene. The case remains open, pending further investigation_

_Logged,_

_Nov 10/ F.A._

_

* * *

  
_

Grelle Sutcliffe licked the blood off the tip of his chain saw. He winked at Sebastian.

"Oohoo! That was terribly rude of you Sebast, running so far away like that! "

From the corner Sebastian panted, one hand covering the terrible gash across his shoulder. Beside him, the kneeling figure of Ciel quietly closed the staring eyes of his aunt. Though the boy's head was bent and his long bangs draped to cover his face, it did nothing to hide the anger in his voice.

"What are you doing?! I order you, Sebastain to take him down," Ciel snarled.

"Not if I can help it!" Artemis muttered. "Butler?"

"Is it ready?"

"Yes."

That was all Butler needed to hear. He nodded and sprang into action. By the pure virtue of being the closer one, he managed to reach Grelle before Sebastian by a few arm lengths.

The death reaper bared his teeth at the large Euroasian man.

"Sorry! But you're just not my type!" he sneered, and brought the death scythe crashing down at Butler. Butler caught saw on the edge of his Sig, somehow trapping it between the two barrels. The grinding of the chain saw on the steel barrels caused sparks to explode from the weapons. Sebastian followed, demon eyes gleaming. He swiveled behind Butler and reared his hand back to strike.

Artemis threw the Ring in the air.

A large blue bubble enveloped all three butlers. Sparks froze in midair where they flew.

Artemis allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction. A perfect time-stop field, almost like a miniature version of the one placed over Fowl Manor during the LEP's unsuccessful siege. The Ring hovered in midair, as if balancing, on the top of the neutrino streams. A perfect mini-bubble and a rather cute one at that… (Artemis made a mental note that his new hormones were starting to affect his brain.)

Inside his coat pocket Artemis fingered a second Ring that even the LEP didn't know about. After inspecting the first samples, Artemis had managed to persuade an eager Mulch Diggums to swipe a second Ring in exchange for a small portion of fairy gold. It was well worth the price, considering how far the fairy technology had exceeded his expectations. Even Foaly hadn't realized that when two Rings were used in conjunction with each other, they would create a zone of interference that froze everything within it.

Unfortunately, the Rings took some time to recharge after the last use to time-jump, which is why he needed Butler to stall for time. And of course, once the identity of the true reaper had been made clear, Artemis needed to find the perfect timing when the redheaded death god would stop moving around. Thanks to Butler, he now had both of these.

Artemis twisted the second Ring, changing the frequency of the magic enough to allow the air particles inside the field to move slightly so that Grelle could hear what he was about to say.

"Since you're just standing there, you might as well listen to what I have to say," Artemis said, walking slowly to the frozen Shinigami. "Oh, I'm sorry Butler. I'll have you out of there in a minute," he added seeing the large manservant still trapped between the un-animated chainsaw and the lethal blow of the other butler.

"Let me make this simple: I know what you are, death reaper, and there is something I want from you. More precisely, I would like to buy some time with your Death List. In return I will offer you something else that is very precious: this Ring. Even death gods have to stay within the laws of time…after all you cannot go harvesting people before their time correct? In any case, you who've judge all others are afraid of one thing: judgment on yourselves…And _you_ in particular have violated some death god ethics. No doubt the correction squad is on its way right now."

Artemis could've sworn Grelle had given a nervous twitch.

"What I'm offering you is the ability to hide in the realm of _time_. Jump between time for as long as you'd like to avoid the judgment awaiting you. All I'd like in return is a little peek at the List."

There. He'd said it. It was like Ho Chi Min city all over again. There'd be some negotiations but the List was his. He was sure of it.

As if some rich noble's son with a penchant for the occult ever had a chance to steal the secrets to immortality from Artemis Fowl the Second- although the butler was good, he'd give him that.

Speaking of that boy….

Artemis had only lost sight of him for a moment, but the boy was gone. He was about to turn around when he heard a menacing click behind him.

The cold barrel of a gun was pressed firmly into the back of his neck.

"You're in my way," said Ciel coldly.

* * *

**Anyways to clear up some things: ****This was not meant to be indirect slash! Genderbender is rather interesting though, no? ****(no no musn't think that way. It's just too weird)****Tehe**

**Also, even if you don't like something, please do not leave threatening reviews! They're not constructive and no one'll listen to them anyways…**

**Sagesof Ages: You're right, being a genius doesn't mean he's smart in everything. Although it'd be a lot less fun if Artemis knew what "stop" meant ;P**

**Anon: Yay! You're back! *heart* for you**

**Thank you everyone who've been commenting and adding this story in your storyalerts! I'd have 0 motivation w/o you guys!**


End file.
